xxv of \Ancient Civilization 365

of the state, but also its political system, its military strength,
and its economic progress. One symptom of this indifference
is race suicide—the refusal to continue the species. The
higher classes were recruited from without, not from within,
and became extinct before they had time to hand down to
following generations the heritage of culture.

But this easy and cultured life was by no means enjoyed
by every subject of the empire. The culture was confined
to a minority—to the well-to-do urban class. It is true that
the members of this minority became much more numerous
in that age : new towns sprang up everywhere—among Celts,
Iberians, Illyrians, Thracians, and Berbers, in the West; in
the hills and valleys of Asia Minor and Syria, and in the
plains of Arabia, in the East. But the fact of this increase
in numbers must be considered in connexion with other facts.
The urban proletariate of slaves and freedmen was growing
just as fast, if not faster; and so was the rural population.
Neither of these classes had any share in the idleness and
prosperity of their social superiors : their portion was labour
and something like beggary. The culture of the town dwellers
was not intended for them ; they were fortunate if they could
pick up the crumbs. Thus the impotence and idleness of the
directing classes brought about a new social and economic
crisis in the empire. The most keen-sighted of the emperors
realized the danger; but it was difficult and even perilous
for the ruler to arouse the higher classes from their apathy;
and, on the other hand, the stubborn though passive resis-
tance of the * classes' made it almost impossible to promote
the ' masses' freely to superior rank.

The development of these states of mind—apathy in the
rich and discontent among the poor—was at first slow and
secret. But suddenly it became acute, when the empire was
forced, after nearly two centuries of peace and tranquillity,
to defend itself against enemies from without. The time
called for a great display of enthusiasm. But the rich could
not be roused from their indifference; and the poor, seeing
the helplessness and weakness of their betters, and deprived
of all share in their idle and indolent contentment, were filled
with hatred and envy. Realizing this internal malady of the
state, the rulers tried to force their subjects to defend the
empire and its civilization. The hand of authority was
heavy on high and low alike. In order to save the empire,